Towel-cabinet.



H. SOLOMON.

TOWEL CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28.1915- RENEWED DEC- 12,1918.

1 ,29-9,63O. Patented Apr. 8, "1919.

H. SOLOMON.

TOWEL CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, l 9l5. RENEWED DEC. 12,19I8.

- 1,299,630. Patenfed Apr. 8,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- PATENT; onnion.

HARRY SOLOMON, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

TOWEL-CABINET.

Application filed July 28, 1915, Serial No. 42,341.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY SOLOMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TOWGl-Cflbla nets, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in towel cabinets.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of towel cabinets and to provide a simple, inexpensive and practical towel cabinet of strong and durable construction designed for use in lavatories of hotels, hospitals, public buildings and various other places where it is desired to supply individual towels and adapted to hold a relatively large number of clean towels and maintain the same in a sanitary condition and equipped with means for exposing only a portion of the top towel of a stack and of enabling the towels to be removed one at a time without mussing or disarranging the clean towels contained within the cabinet, whereby an absolutely fresh and spotless sanitary towel is supplied to each person.

A further object of the invention is to provide a towel cabinet of this character adapted to maintain clean and soiled towels separate and capable of admitting free and convenient use of mitting the same to be removed from 'the cabinet, whereby loss and abuse of the towels are effectually prevented.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an ornamental fire and germ proof cabinet, which will be perfectly ventilated and which will afford ready access to the soiled towel compartment to .permit convenient removal of the soiled towels and easy loading of the cabinet w th clean towels.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to with- Specification of Letters latent.

the towels without per- Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Renewed December 12, 1918. Serial No. 266,516.

out departin from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a towel cabinet constructed in accordance with this lnvention, the cabinet being arranged for use.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the hinged front being open and the parts being arranged for loading.

Fig. 3 is a. central vertical sectional view of the cabinet, the parts being arranged as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line H of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of lower rod and adjacent portions.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the loader plate.

Fig. 7 is a the foldetail view of the loader tube.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view partly in section showing the manner in which the clean towels are arranged inside the frame.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings. I

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates a cabinet or casing designed to be constructed of any suitable material preferably sheet steel and comprising spaced vertical side walls 2, a rear vertical wall 3, horizontal top and bottom walls 4 and 5 and an outwardly bowed approximately semi-cylindrical front wall or door 6 hinged at one of its vertical edges at 7 and pivoted at its free Vertical edges with suitable locking means as shown at 8. The hinged door 6 terminates at a point intermediate of the top and bottom of the cabinet to leave an exposed towel compartment 9 which is protected and closed at the front by the means hereinafter described when the cabinet is in use. The cabinet is equipped with rollers 10, which support the bottom 5 of the cabinet above the floor to'enable it to be easily moved and to permit free ventilation through the bottom openings 11 provided for this purpose. The lower portion of the cabinet constitutes a soiled towel com partment 12 and the cabinet is relatively long to provide ample space for a large number of soiled towels to prevent the same from bunching and interfering with the free dropping of all the towels into the compartment 12.

The clean towels 13 are arranged in a stack and are supported upon a platform 14. constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material and preferably provided at opposite sides with horizontal pivots 15 journaled in suitable bearing 16 at the side walls 2 of the cabinet, but a relatively fixed plat' are vertical and the lower portions 21 are inclined and extend downwardly and rearwardly to carry the curtain clear of the soiled towels and permit ready removal of the same when the curtain is in the lowered position. I

The slidable upper front section or follower17 which is constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material, is provided at the lower end'with a central recess 17 to expose'the top towel of the stack and enable thesame to be drawn out of the cabinet and it carries a follower frame or member 22 consisting of a horizontal rod having terminal attaching portions 23 and provided at its central portion with a rearwardly extending approximately W-sh'aped towel engaging loop 24 adapted to rest upon the top of the stack of'towels and permit only one to be removed "when the top one is pulled outward through the recess or opening 17 of the follower. The attached terminals of the follower frame extend upward at the rear face of the follower 17 and are riveted or otherwise secured to the same. The follower frame is also provided with transversely depending loops 25 forming hinge elements and adapted to receive a removable horizon tal pivot rod 26 which connects the curtain to the follower 17 The curtain which is constructed of flexible sheet metal or other suitable materialis provided at the top with a hinge element or eye preferably consisting of a head 27 formed by rolling a portion of the upper edge of the curtain. The horizontalpivot or connecting rod is placed in the eyes or hinge elements of the follower and the curtain when these parts are at the limit of their upward movement and the cabinet is provided with a suitable opening 28 in its side wall for this purpose.

di'vidual user.

' partment.

such projecting end is equipped with an eye 30 reinforced with metal or other suitable means and adapted. to have a guide rod 31 passed through it to prevent the towels from being-removed from the cabinet by the in- Any kind of towel may of course be employed and if desired the towels may be done up in separate envelops or packages to insure a'san'ita'ry condition of the same.

The guide rod 31 is'com'posed of front and rear vertical portions, a forwardly con necting approximately U-shaped connecting loop 34 and a lower downwardly and rearwa'rdly extending inclined portion 35 forming a lower extension of the front vertical portion 33. The rear vertical portion 32 which passes through the alined eyes 30' of the stack or pile of towels extends downwardly through an opening 36 in the towel platform or support 14 and is also arranged in an angular bend 37 of one side of the towel engaging loop 24 of the frame or member 22. The loop 34 extends outwardly through the opening 17 of the follower and enables the upper most towel of the stack to be drawn outwardly through the said opening 17 to the front of the cabinet in convenient position for use on both the face and hands without requiring the person using it to assume an inclined position. After the towel has been used it is allowed todrop into the top of the hinged front or door and it is guided into the lower portion of the cabinet by the front portion of the'guide rod,'which automatically adjusts itself to the diminishing size of the stack of towels-to maintain the top loop 34 at the opening 17* of the follower. The lower inclined portion 35 of the guide rod carries or guides the towels to the rear portion of the soiled towel com- The soiled towels. are retained on the inclined portion 35 by a nut 38 and the rear vertical portion is provided at its lowerend with a padlock 39 to prevent surreptitious removal of the guide rod.

The follower and the curtain close the front of the clean towel compartment and automatically adjust themselves to the diminishing size of the stack of towels and they also maintain the stack in proper condition. The curtain isprovided with a central longitudinal opening 40 through which the rear vertical portion 32 of the guide rod extends and which permits the curtain to be raised and lowered independently of the guide rod.

In loading the cabinet the stack of towels is placed upon a loading plate 41 and a tube 4-2 is passed throughthe eyes of the towels and through a slot 43 in the loader plate and the opening 36 in the towel platform 14:. The guide rod 31 is then inserted in the tube which is withdrawn from the stack of towels by pulling it downward through the slot in the curtain. The loader plate is then with-- drawn and the curtain is connected to the follower by the rod 26 and the cabinet is ready for use. The loader plate is provided at the front with a flange 41 and the slot extends to the rear end of the loader plate to permit the withdrawal of the said plate.

The hinged front or door 6 is equipped with a guard or closure 44: consisting of a substantially oblong plate provided at its ends with pivots 45 preferably formed by a rod &6 and arranged in suitable bearings at the side portions of the hinged front or door 6. This plate which is rounded at the ends as at 47 to conform to the configuration of the hinged front 6 is located slightly below the top thereof to clear atop flange 48 thereof and it is perfectly balanced and is adapted to be tilted or rotated by a towel to permit the same to readily enter the cabinet. The guard or closure is also provided at the center with opposite slots or recesses to receive the front portion of the guide rod.

What is claimed is 1: A cabinet of the class described having a compartment open at the front and adapted to hold a stack of towels, guides located at opposite sides of the cabinet and extendino from the top of the compartment to a point below the bottom of the same, the lower portions of the guides being inclined downwardly and rearwardly, a front section, a member slidable in the guides to close the space above the towels, and a curtain hinged to the front section or member and slidable in the guides to close the space occupied by the towels and adapted to move downward in the inclined portion of the guides.

2-. A cabinet of the class described having a compartment open at the front and adapted to receive a stack of towels, a follower adapted to rest upon the towels and a curtain connected with the follower and depending therefrom to close the space occupied by the towels.

3. A cabinet of the class described having a compartment open at the front and adapted to receive a stack of towels, guides located at opposite sides of the compartment, a follower supported by the towels, and a curtain slidable in guides and connected with and depending from the follower to close the space occupied by the towels.

4. A cabinet of the class described having a compartment open at the front and adapted to receive a stack of towels, guides located at opposite sides of the compartment, the lower portion of the guides being extended downwardly and rearwardly, a follower supported by the stack of towels, and a curtain slidable in the guides and hinged at the top to the follower so as to move in the lower portion of the guides.

5. A cabinet of the class described including a lower soiled towel compartment, a pivoted platform adapted to support a stack of towels, and guidin means for the towels passing through the p atform and extending therefrom to the soiled towel compartment, said guiding means being adapted to steady th platform and the latter being adapted to adjust itself automatically to the towels.

6. A cabinet of the class described having an upper clean towel compartment and a lower soiled towel compartment, a follower adapted to rest upon the towels, a curtain connected with the follower and having a longitudinal slot, and a guide rod for the towels having an inner portion extending through the slot.

7 A cabinet of the class described having a compartment open at the front and adapted to hold a stack of towels, a slidable front section for closin the space above the towels, and a follower frame carried by the said section and arranged upon the stack of towels.

8. A cabinet of the class described having a compartment open at the front and adapted to hold a stack of towels, a slidable front section for closing the space above the towels, and a follower frame carried by the said section and having a rearwardly extending loop adapted to rest upon the stack of towels.

9. A cabinet of the class described having a compartment open at the front and adapt-- ed to hold a stack of towels, a slidable front section for closing the space above the towels, a follower frame carried by the said section and having a rearwardly extending loop adapted to rest upon the stack of towels, one side of the loop having an offset bend and a guide rod for the towels located at the bend and extending through the bottom of the upper compartment.

10. A cabinet of the class described having a compartment open at the front and adapted to hold a stack of towels, a slidable front section for closing the space above the towels, and a follower frame carried by the said section and arranged upon the stack of towels, and a curtain located in front of the towels and connected at the top to the said frame.

11. A cabinet of the class described having a compartment open at the front and adapted to hold a stack of towels, a slidable front section for closing the space above the towels, a follower frame carried by the said section and consisting of a rod, having a rearwardly eXtendin loop arranged to rest upon the towels, sai rod having depending loops, a curtain located in front of the towels, and a horizontal rod arranged in the depending 100p and connecting the curtain Intestimonywhereof Iaffixmy-signature t0 the follower frame. in the presencecf' two Witnesses. v

12. A cabinet of the class described in- HARRY SOLOMON. eluding a loader plate having a slot, and a WVitnesses: 5 tube adapted to extend through the loader WILLIAM R. SEAMAN, plate and receive a guide rod. LOUIS W. CRAMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each by Addressing the "Oommissionu of l'btents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

